Chess Games
by Maiko Chinatsu
Summary: Raito Yagami is Captain of the Chess team and star student at Daikoku Academy. That is simply the natural order of things. Untill a wide-eyed, social recluse shows up and challenges Raito's well earned star-spot. For the 1st time in his life Raito will be forced to compete. For the first time in L's life, he'll be challenged. How will they deal? LxLight, AU, may turn into M.
1. Chapter 1

**Notes/Warnings**

*** **Their ages are not canon here. In this 'verse Raito and L are only a year a part in age.

***** Expect DN castmembers to show up unexpectedly, eventually.

I hope you guys can enjoy this intro into a world where Raito and L are roughly the same age and go to the same school XD

* * *

The sun shone brightly on the cobbled street leading Raito's way to school that day. The last remnants of summer were warming up the morning already, lending his first day of the new school year a casual air. As if instead of a day in classrooms he'd be spending it catching some sun with a good book. Some early drifting leaves skirted on the mild breeze before one of them landed on Raito's jacket sleeve. With long delicate fingers he plucked it off and let his eyes linger on the hand now holding it.

Finger nails pristine? Check.

Immaculately polished shoes reflected glimpses of the handsome man that owned them while they struck out an even paced rhythm on the street below. The sound reverberated through the narrow Tokyo side streets, with its small traditional residences lining each side, and Raito took a moment to go through his little mental checklist.

Hair styled to perfection, but with just enough slack to appear nonchalant? Check.  
Uniform pressed with the meticulousness of a royal tailor? Check.

Books and stationary weren't very important to him, since he already studied and memorized most of the material during summer, but still. Check.

Raito was feeling really good this morning and for no discernable reason, either. Not that he was complaining, mind you. This day had all the makings of another perfect day in the life of young Mr. Yagami, but that was to be expected by now. Yet somehow there was this lingering sense of… of what he couldn't tell you, but it tickled his stomach and put a spring in his step. It felt like this would be a very good day for him.

The murmer of hundreds of voices met Raito as he turned the corner, and he gingerly walked on towards the prestigious campus of Japans school for the Elite; Daikoku Academy.

A few overly excited fellow students in their enthusiastic rush to meet with friends nearly collided with Raito, but with a quick turn of the shoulder and a small step to the right he avoided the mishap. If you had asked him then, Raito would have told you he was a very observant man, not so easily caught off guard by some stray students.

His book bag was lying heavily on his shoulder, so before someone could drag him into the obligatory "1st day of school exchange," he decided to stop by his locker and leave some books he wouldn't need until later.

He made his way through the crowd to ascend the steps of the main building, its white façade elegant and refined, and made his way to his locker.

While relieving himself of those books, he came across a bright red apple that he intended to keep for lunch. However, with the prospect of having to discuss some meaningless trite about summer, the next year and such, he decided he might need something to occupy himself with.  
He tossed his bright red savior in the air with a quick flick of the wrist, caught it, and put it back in his bag.  
Fully prepared for the day now, Raito granted himself a small moment for sentiment while he looked around.

His amber eyes flitted over the crowd and noticed how people thrummed together in small cliques while their voices filled the space before eventually joining together into a loud unintelligible buzz. Somehow it felt good to be back.  
Summer had been fine, but grew more than a little tedious near the end. As the captain of the chess team, a prized tennis player and star of the debate and math club, he would at the very least be kept busy at Daikoku. It would be nice to have something to occupy himself with again.

_10 minutes till class starts_, Raito noticed, as he looked at the large clock in the main hall. _Time to make it to class_. He made his way to the winding staircase that had been a morning staple for him from the 1st day he entered Daikoku, passing through the student body as he went.

Here he could make out an excited shriek when someone met up with a friend they hadn't seen all summer. There he heard someone grumbling about summer being too short followed by equally discouraged grunts in confirmation.  
He passively absorbed the proceedings, relating to neither of the common reactions of his peers. You'd expect it to be a very lonely feeling, but for Raito it had always been this way.

When he got to the winding staircase he looked up at large windows that surrounded it and accompanied it up through the entire length of its large and wide steps. It reminded him of a stair case one would find in a tower, though thankfully this one was spacious enough to allow several students to travel in both directions simultaneously. Just past the first bend on exactly the 43rd step you'd have a lovely view of the campus.

It was undoubtedly the very best step. You could stand there, especially on a morning like this, and look out in relative quiet while the sun broke through the window and see all the hustle and bustle of the kids scrambling around.

Raito generally wasn't one to indulge in such whimsical things, but he made an exception for this particular ritual. Standing there each morning looking out over the school campus and the students below just always felt…. right.

As he was inclining the staircase, noticing the delicate veins in the finely polished marble of the steps, he automatically counted in his head.  
_Thirty-eight_, _thirty-nine, forty, forty-what?!_

His eyes fell on ratty sneakers peeking out from equally objectionable jeans both taking up residence on the 43rd step.

Raito stopped dead in his track and followed both sneaker and jean up to their owner. There was someone standing on his step. He couldn't believe it. Someone. Standing. On. His. Step. Looking out the window from _his_ spot. Well, good morning to Raito.

He'd never seen this guy before either. Some scrawny thing with a mad mop of unruly black hair that covered nearly his entire forehead and obscured his eyes. He wore a white t-shirt -unironed- and baggy blue jeans -ditto-, the tip of his thumb rested on his bottom lip in an almost bizarre way.

The guy turned around and looked at Raito, presumably wondering why Raito had stopped and stared at him.  
Hnng, the whole thing threw a spanner in Raito's routine. Not only was his step now occupied, he also knew he'd worn his surprise and likely annoyance all over his face. Not exactly the most dignified start of the day.

The guy simply continued his blink less stare and said, "It's a good spot, you want it back?"

* * *

**A/N**

Here I am again with another game of "Shouldn't I Have Updated a Different Story?"  
The answer, as always, is YES! ...But I didn't... I'm so sorry about that :(  
But the next best thing is a new story, right?! I hope so...

Truth is that LxL has taken over all my muses and poor MxM can't get any love right now... So, I figured I'd follow through with this one. Aand...  
I've already started on chapter 2 so the update shouldn't be long in the future either :)

I'm terribly sorry for all of you who are waiting to continue with SCR, and I hope the MxM muses will find me again so I can finish. But I hope you can enjoy this in the mean time.  
Oh, and if you want to help get the SCR updated, some good MxM stories might help me get back in gear. Send me some links if you know any! Thanks :)

Quick question, how do you guys prefer the layout? I see most people online use many more linebreaks. Sometimes one after each sentence.  
Is it easier to read like that, or doesn't it matter? Let me know so I can make some adjustments if necessary :)

Oh, and reviews make me skip instead of walk. It's hilarious. I'll send you a pic :P


	2. Chapter 2

After a short moments hesitation at the direct and tactless question, Raito's vocal cords began cooperating again.

"Do I want my spot back?"

It was pleasing to hear that despite the initial hick-up the reply flowed smoothly and with a cool tone of indignation that would have half the school apologising for being presumptuous and the other half simply cowering away.

The uncanny levelled stare he received in return was certainly not as planned.

"Yes, do you want it back?" Came the monotonous answer, without even a trace of emotion or apparent comprehension of the underlying tone Raito had so skillfully applied.

_He must be completely oblivious to the subtleties of interpersonal interaction_. What more could one expect from, well, a disaster that looked like that.

But, if nothing else Raito Yagami was gracious and kind. He did not prey on the weak. No, he protected them as anyone with his qualities should, and this time was no different. No matter how inconvenient this poor sod made himself to be.

So Raito put on his best "Dear Sheep" smile. The one that made people feel as though he was connecting with them on a personal level, when in reality he simply intended to make them feel eager to agree. For good measure he ruffled the bottom part of his hair in an attempt at boy-like innocence.

"I'm sure there's no "spot" anywhere in this school that I can claim as my own." He said, eyes glistening with all the charm he could muster.

Across from him, the guy looked at him contemplatively, thumb permanently wedged between his teeth, no remnant of body language or expression to betray his thoughts.

"Hmm, of course." The Thumber finally answered in a ridiculously slow manner, as if he were releasing a long breath of air.

"Don't let me keep you, then." He curtly added, and with that turned back to the window.

Raito's expression almost bespoke his sheer disbelieve before effectively getting it under control . _That's twice now in less than five minutes_, he chastised himself. But the way this new student responded was so far from the usual, it was hard not to be thrown off. Raito would adapt, however. He's nothing if not adaptable, after all.

In all the years of trying to predict behaviour from fellow students he'd never been this far off the mark. Undoubtedly, had he approached another student in this manner it would have resulted in bashful smiles and invites to lunch, or at the very least some sign of appreciation for the warm smile and kindly way he'd spoken. But this guy! He effectively dismissed Raito and returned to window as if.. As if...  
_What is so important out there, anyway?_

_Or does he realise it's an act? Impossible. Why would he of all people be able to read me? He seems completely oblivious to the basic nuances of social interaction. No, it's more likely the same social dysfunction I noticed earlier. What is a guy like that doing here? _  
_Wealthy and influential family, perhaps? It would explain his demeanor and general lack of social skills..._

A small scuffle at the base of the stairs broke Raito from these momentary musings and he adjusted his cuffs to hide his discomfort. It was a very soothing way of reasembling yourself, the quick well practised movements give of a distinguished air to the world while the familiarity of the motions allow his own gears to silently fall back into place.

"Yes, that would be best." he said as he started making his way up the stairs, " I believe class will start soon, and it would be a bad omen to be late on the first day of the new year. I hope that you'll come to enjoy the rest of our school, along with your window."

The last part was petty and a bit childish, it would be ridiculous to deny that. While it was not behaviour he would normally engage in, this whole interaction - including but not limited to the usurping of his favorite step and being dismissed in favor of the former- left a decidedly foul taste in his mouth. So he reasoned even he should be able to follow a whim every once in a while, and as far as whims go this one was fairly innocent.

When he was close to the top of the stairs, that same monotone voice called up to him.

"Does Yagami-san truly believe that?" It asked.

The sound was like bone grating on bone to Raito.

To avoid the disgraceful act of raising his voice, Raito closed the distance between them untill he stood a few steps higher then The Ghoul. It seemed some students apparently lacked not only social skills, but also basic manners. To close off all possibility for redemption, they were obtrusive besides and evidently far more knowledgable of the student body than can be reasonably expected of any new student, idiot or not.

"How do you know my name?" His voice snapped despite himself.

For a moment a subtle but clearly visible smile crept up the other boys face. And in the two seconds it took Raito to place it as a smile, however distorted and wry, it vanished leaving the same stoic face as before.

"Lucky guess" He simply answered. And did Raito notice a tinge of amusement in that stare?

The noise at the base of the stairs was steadily increasing, a clear sign that there was little time before they had to go to class. Time pressure and the other boy's general demeanor toppled Raito's usual carefully sculpted disposition and he leaned forward and nearly sneered;

"Implausibly lucky, I'd say. Who are you and why do you know my name?"

The Ghoul had a habit of pondering when nothing seemed to call for it at all. This time instead of gnawing away at his thumb he stuck a pointer finger in his mouth and looked up as if hoping for some divine creature to provide an answer.

At long last the finger dropped to his side and his eyes focused on Raito's again.

"I'm Ryuuzaki ", was the last thing Raito heard before the bell rang and they were quickly overrun by the hoard of students rushing to their first class.

The bastard had made him late.

* * *

I had a lot of fun writing this and I promise some plot will come. Hopefully soon.  
In the mean time I'm setting up the scene and I hope I'm not boring you to death with it :S

As always, I love to hear what you think. Constructive criticism is always appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

It's been forever and day and I'm so sorry! But I haven't been idle, nor did I give up this story. It just kicked my ass. I must have re-written this from scratch at least 3 times, not to mention all the times I simply tried to make what I had work. It ended up...Well, I let you be the judge of that.  
This chapter was brought to you in part by my beta FreakShowCentral. Thanks to him it made it out to you guys this fast. I was planning on keeping it locked away to work on some more...  
As compensation for the long wait this chapter is almost double the word count of the previous chapters combined...  
I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

The final bell rang harshly through the prep-school's empty halls, though to his own ears Raito's strained breathing surely matched it. He'd been running through the damn school like a freshman fool trying to make it to class on time.

_Ryuuzaki... That bastard… _Raito didn't know his inner voice could growl, but there it was.  
_  
He was simply standing there buying time, and I let him! He meant for this to happen! No problem, calm down. This is still workable. I can still make it. Just around the corner. Almost there._

Raito turned the corner in a mad rush only to watch in dismay how the door to his first class was already in motion, about to swing shut. With two quick successive steps and agility honed by many years of tennis, he lunged for the door. Fingertips brushed against cold metal, followed by his palm. Quickly, closed his hand to wrap around the doorknob just in time to stop the blasted thing dead in its track before it had the chance to lock him out.

_Made it! Ha, better luck next time, Ryuuzaki!_ His breath caught up with him and a palpable relief slowly spread out from his core. He was on time; that bastard could suck it.

Though the echoes of the bell still rang through the corridor, the cracked door revealed that his classmates had already quieted down, a few drifting whispers the only sound left. One didn't need genius to know those were most likely on his account.

Slowly the classroom door opened. Raito's eyes swung up to look at the man behind it and connected with fierce blue eyes. Eyes that, contrary to their hue, shot nothing but pure fire. A lesser person would have mumbled a string of apologies at their onslaught.

"Please excuse my tardiness, Kheel-sensei," Raito said instead. "I ran into a new student and attempted to acquaint them with our school."

"How dutiful, Yagami-san," Kheel droned impassively, followed by a vague hand gesture towards the room. "Please, take your seat."

An uncomfortable silence hovered over the class and a few students nervously shifted in their seats or rustled through notebooks to fill it.

Unperturbed by all the eyes now glued to him, Raito stepped in and quickly perused the classroom for a suitable desk. The surprisingly average room was filled with 5 rows of desks and had a far wall entirely comprised of tall windows. The only thing belying the school's funds was the teacher's desk upfront, which would have looked more in place in an old English mansion. It was a deep red, cherry wood desk, covered with a dark chocolate leather top. Undoubtedly as antique and refined as Daikoku Academy.

As always, the rows in front of the desk were taken up by the Mihael Kheel League. His homeroom teacher was somewhat of a celebrity and had a fan-base to prove it.

Raito found a desk on the far wall by a window, and weaved through the first rows to claim it.  
A contented sigh threatened to bubble up. _O__n with the day and away from that _thing_.  
_

On the other side of the classroom, Kheel was striding casually from the door to his desk with slow but purposeful steps, in what appeared to be another tailor made suit that was expertly crafted to fit as close to the body as it could. The rhythmic taps of his shoes hitting hardwood commanded the attention of everyone in the room. All eyes shifted to the teacher making his way across the front of their class.

With each fluid step, the suit's fabric followed in an easy flow that accentuated both Kheel's slender built as well as the near feline grace he was known for. A silk and wool blend, if Raito had to guess, made in an elegant charcoal grey with rough, black leather details peaking from inside the slacks pockets and around the cuffs. Good quality, he surmised. Already he could hear the appreciative coo's coming from the first rows.

"A new student you said, Yagami-san?" Kheel asked in a low voice. He reached his desk, leaned one hand on the top and shot a probing look at Raito. His eyes gleamed with subdued amusement.

_Really? Today of all days Kheel-sensei decides to dig deeper? _Raito folded his hands thoughtfully on top of his desk, looking every part the perfect student. _Ugh, this day just continues to get better. _

Despite his severe disinclination to discuss the topic of Ryuuzaki, years of practice still allowed him to manage a rather convincing, easy smile.

"Yes, Kheel-sensei, and I apologize for being late," he started off. " I met a new student on the stairs who introduced himself as Ryuuzaki. He seemed lost so I stopped to make sure he was ok."

"Ah, I see. Ryuuzaki-san, the new transfer student. What was your impression of him?"

_My impression? Well, I'm impressed the infuriating and clueless creature has enough brainpower to walk, for one. Let alone that he's able to use his limited resources to apparently stalk me. It's all quite impressive, really._

Raito thickly swallowed the venomous reply back and tried to focus on being in the role of Top Student and all around congenial Light Yagami. _It would be so much easier if people would simply let me move on from that monstrosity of a person._

"He was... different. He didn't wear a uniform and made no attempt to find his classes. He simply stood quietly on the stairs and looked out of a window. That's why I thought he might have been lost."

"Ryuuzaki-san is the school's latest prize acquisition," Kheel heavily dripped disdain and sarcasm on those last few words. It was no secret he hated school politics. He continued on a lighter tone with a peculiar quirk in his brow. "You know he challenges even _your_ academic scores, Yagami-san?"

_He... wait, what?_

Raito was sure he actually _heard_ some part of his mind splinter off in fragments likely never to be retrieved. There was no way, _no way_ that that anemic, socially stunted bastard could be a match for himself. Somewhere in the midst of him trying to reconcile his disbelieved and cracking mind, Raito realized that Kheel had continued talking.

"…reputed to have an incredibly gifted student. That's why he moved here from the U.K.; England, to be precise. Very near to where I lived, as a matter of fact." The teacher's eyes trailed off as if lost in thought for a moment before coming back to the point at hand. "I was warned he was rather set in his way concerning both his unusual behavior and his most casual apparel. Quite against uniforms, it seems. "

He chuckled at that and shot Raito a meaningful look.

"That aside, I can't help but imagine it will be very interesting to see two minds such as yours challenge each other. After all, everyone needs a rival, don't they?"

Kheel looked at Raito expectantly, with a small upturned corner of his lips.

The ghoul was a match for Raito's intelligence, was he? And he wanted a challenge, did he? Well, Raito always aimed to please and had never lost a match before in his life. Ryuuzaki may have gotten the upper hand this morning, but that was simply because he'd had time to assess the situation and apparently do some research. As it stood, they were back on even footing and there was no reason Light needed to feel threatened by some socially awkward idiot savant.

Raito held Kheel's stare while a smirk crept up his face and, for once, he didn't care to fight it.

_This could become very interesting, indeed, Kheel-sensei_.

* * *

By lunch time, word of the new genius student had made its way around the school three times on a bullet train. It was the talk of every teacher and student alike and the cafeteria was a teeming anthill of excitement when Raito entered.

"Hey, Raito-kun!" Someone called out when Raito forced his way through the crowd to join the lunch queue, empty tray in hand.

He turned around and spotted Matsuda making his way clumsily toward him, leaving complete mayhem in his oddly apologetic and cheerful, but no less destructive wake. Unsuspecting students' white shirts were stained with their own chocolate milk and toes were mercilessly trampled on as he made his way through the crowd with a smile, only stopping every now and then to add a, "Did I do that? So-sorry about that, really!'  
Matsuda was a rather ditzy but well-meaning classmate Raito shared Chemistry classes with. They'd been partnered once before and ever since then Matsuda took it to mean they were friends.

"Is it true, have you heard?" Matsuda started when he finally caught up with Raito, leaving a crowd of people behind glaring at the back of his head. "There's a new student," he continued in a rush, still completely unaware of the silent death threats being shot at him. "He's English and strange and a genius. Just as smart as…"

"As me?" Raito finished for him. He pushed his tray forward to keep up with the line. And if the push was a little abrasive, neither he nor Matsuda cared to mention it.

Matsuda turned red. "That's what _they_ say!" he exclaimed. "You know.." Matsuda leaned closer in a conspiratorial way, while Raito took this as a prime moment to turn to the side and pick up a vanilla pudding.

He didn't want the pudding, in truth. It was just the most natural way to dodge Matsuda; unfortunately, now he'd have to walk home just to work off the calories. It should have come as no surprise to Raito, considering how the rest of the day had been, that his ruse failed. Instead, Matsuda managed to grab Raito and pulled him closer.

"They say he's from the same place Kheel-Sensei is. They say that he got his genius from the experiments Kheel-Sensei ran at the lab he got banned from before teaching here," he stage whispered at Raito.

Raito struggled free and put the pudding back. Damned thing was useless... both of them. No, make that all _three_ of them.

_Not a full day in school yet and already people have made up the most ridiculous things about this guy,_ Raito thought.

He for one couldn't see what would make everybody so very interested. Clearly Ryuuzaki was just hype. Once he got knocked down a peg everything would return to normal. Raito picked up a whole wheat sandwich with mostly veggies on them, then ran his hand through his hair in exasperation.

"At least one part of that's correct, Matsuda-san. I suppose that that's more than you could say of most rumors," Raito replied in a tone that had weariness heavily lined around the edges. This day was starting to have real effects on him. "He is from the same place as Kheel-sensei. The rest you'd be better off disregarding."

"How do you know that? Is it true then?! Have you met him?" Matsuda nearly bounced out of his skin like an over excited puppy on his first walk.

Raito contemplated whether to feed the boy-puppy to the chocolate milk stained sharks still lurking nearby, then exhaled. They were nearing the end of the line and Matsuda hadn't picked up anything yet.

"I have met him, yeah," Raito mentioned as he picked through the apples to find a nice red one. "But we didn't have much of a conversation. Actually, it was Kheel-sensei who mentioned that the two of them were from the same place, or near enough."

He presented his pickings to the overly cheerful lunch lady, whose attitude was far too bright for his current circumstances.

"That'll be 435 yen," she happily chirped.

Raito handed over the money before turning to Matsuda and attempted to relieve himself from at least one headache. "Have you already eaten or..?" he asked, looking pointedly at Matsuda's empty hands.

" What?" Matsuda followed Raito's eyes and noticed at last that his own hands were empty. "Crap! I can't believe I forgot! I'll… I'll have to go back, now. See you later Raito!" The boy stumbled and ran off with all the delicacy of an earthquake.

" Yeah, see ya."

At least Raito would be able to eat lunch in peace. Some days, you just had to take the small blessings.

* * *

Through sheer force of will and, might he add, impeccable composure, Light was able to make it through the rest of the day. The last bell had rung only a few moments ago and the halls were a streaming mass of high school students.

Raito's normally formidable stride had lost much of its vigor over the course of this hellish day, what with every other word being "Ryuuzaki." He hadn't been able to leave that apparition behind all day. But things were about to change. Today, the chess club meets and Raito had never been happier about it.

When he turned the corner to the clubroom entrance, he felt his slightly slumped shoulders automatically draw back in cheerful anticipation. The non-descript white door with its simple sign that stated "Chess Club" promised a clean slate, something pure and undefiled. He turned the brass knob and pushed. The door swung to midway point and beyond, a mimic of his own smile that he couldn't stop from growing wider and wider.

The tension eased off of him as he took his first few joyful steps into the room, when his eyes drew to the center…. and the whole world stopped. His smile dropped and for a second he stood frozen, his arms limp, useless weight against the sides of his body, his mouth hanging open; barely doing any better.

THERE! Sitting in the center of the room perched on a chair like some demented owl was…

_Ryuuzaki! That bastard…  
_

* * *

"Oh, what's this? Do we have a potential new member?" Raito's eyes spoke of brotherly kindness and happy, amicable chess games under spring's new blossoms.

L knew better and had to cut short the bud of his own blossoming amusement before it had the chance to spread from his eyes to the rest of his face. He'd noticed Raito's initial shock at seeing him here. The kid was not so different from all the other supposed genii he had met; utterly convinced of their superiority and exceedingly easy to agitate with reminders of their own fallacy. Oh, and had he mentioned desperate to keep up appearances? Yes, Raito certainly was that, too.

Greg was the one to finally respond to Raito's inquiry, which elicited a sharp turn of the head and a slightly tight upper lip in the latter. _Curiouser and curiouser_, L thought.

Greg was a gruff sort of boy; tall, slightly overweight, the type that seems to permanently wear clothes with some stain or another on them, but certainly a clever guy. By common standards in any case. Most importantly, however, he was decidedly not Raito's favorite member of the club. L found he liked Greg already.

"Yeah, maybe. Right, Ryuuzaki?" Greg answered, while slapping L on the shoulder like an old friend and _leaving_ his hand there.

L shuddered. Well, perhaps L could understand Raito's stance at least in this one regard.

* * *

"Hmm," was the only reply out of Ryuuzaki, who quickly scooted to the opposite end of his chair, while remaining in his crouch, legs pulled up even tighter.

Raito likened him to a baboon, uninterested in the entire procedure of introduction but seemingly waiting on someone to sit in front of him so he could pick flees out of their hair. This time, however, Raito chose to take his rudeness in stride, shake off the previous hours and be who he always was. Perhaps Raito's brilliance would put It to shame and send him scurrying off to join his doubtlessly homeless comrades in a sewage drain pipe somewhere, or so he hoped.

He smiled brightly and turned to greet the great, unwelcomed guest. "No kidding," he said. "That's great! We can definitely use some new blood in our humble little band of chess players."

The room went bright with jubilation at the prospect as only a room filled with socially awkward, chess loving teenage boys could. The other boys' voices rose beyond their normally hushed murmurs to a great chorus of "That's really cool!" and "Yeah, you should join us!"

That is, until Greg raised his hand solemnly above his head to silence everyone before he graced them with the sound of his voice.

"Well," he started, and for the briefest moment both L and Raito's mind synchronized on the same thought: _What the hell do you want, Greg?!_

"Before he joins the club, we should find out on what level he plays, shouldn't we?"

Raito and L locked eyes instantly; they knew _exactly_ what Greg meant.

* * *

A/N

THE GAME, MRS HUDSON, IS ON!

Next part up will be the chess game. God help me. This is the sole reason I started this fic, just to have L and Light play a believable chess game together.

P.S The line breaks are a &amp;^*(%((&amp;^ here. FF keeps swallowing them up, so sorry if it looks pushed together and weird. If you have any ideas to help me fix this let me know please!


End file.
